Handle for pails



1936- J. M. HOTHERSALL 2,026,536

HANDLE FOR PAILS Filed March 2, 1955 /C ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE HANDLE FOR- PAHJS John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 2, 1933, Serial No. 659,256 2 Claims. (01. 220-95 The present invention relates to handles for pails and the like and has more particular reference to improvement in sheet metal guards or hand grips for wire bails provided upon pails lntended for the containing of heavy materials.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a guard or hand grip of simple and cheap construction and which will effectively distribute the pressure of the bail, resulting from lifting and carrying of the heavily laden pail, over a sufiicient area of the hand to prevent discomfort.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a hand grip or guard which will materially stiffen and reinforce the bail.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a smooth and comfortable grip or guard of sheet metal adapted for permanent and economical attachment to a wire ball of usual construction, the material of both of these parts being so constructed and arranged as to permit of the use of material of relatively light gage to produce a strong and stiff construction.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pail having a wire bail and guard embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a part of a pail, a portion of its bail and a small piece of the guard, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3- is a front elevation of one end of the wire bailwith a portion of the sheet metal guard attached; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional details,

taken substantially along the respective lines I4 and 5-5 in Fig. 3.

In the drawing reference character II indicates the body of a pail of usual or preferred construction, I2 and I3 the bottom and top ends double seamed or otherwise suitably secured to the body. The body is provided with ball ears l4 in which the bent ends I5 of a wire bail I6 are pivotally engaged. The wire bail I6 is or may be of the usual form provided on paint cans and similar containers.

A preferred form of guard comprises a sheet metal member 2I curved lengthwise with the general curvature of the bail I6. The side edges of the guard or handle 2| are rolled up and inwardly to provide round heads 23 (Fig. 4) at each side. These beads are separated to provide a central channel 24 in which the bail I6 is arranged when the parts are assembled. The guard has sufli- 5 cient length to cause it to extend throughout the portions of the bail likely to be engaged by the hand in lifting and carrying the pail. The guard is permanently secured in place with its central portion 22- in firm contact with the under side 10 of the bail, and with the beads adjacent the sides of the bail so as to confine it against lateral displacement, by interengaging the ends of the side edges of the guard over the wire of the bail. Thus, end recesses 25 are formed in each side edge 1 near each end of the guard to set off, or space from the ends of the beads, edge lips 26 which are bent over the bail and in toward each other to embrace together the wire of the bail, as may be observed in Figs. 3 and 5. v 20 Thus constructed and arranged, a smooth unbroken under surface is provided throughout the length of the guard forengagement by the hand and to distribute the load and pressure of a heavily laden pail. The top of the guard and the exposed portion of the bail also are smooth and, ex-- cept at the ends, the edges of the sheet metal are located well withinthe assembled construction. The side beads 23 serve materially to strengthen and stiffen the construction .and per- 30 mit the use of both a relatively light gage of sheet metal in the making of the guard and a relatively light gage of wire in the manufacture of the bail to produce a structure of desired strength and stiffness. The guard may be cheaply construct- 35 ed and assembled by merely blanking the strip, removing portions of the edges of the strip to space the lips 26 from the ends of the beads, rolling the side beads 23, then positioning it Within the bail and bending over the side lips 26 into 4 locking position.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, .and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, 5 construction and arrangements of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof. 50

I claim:

1. A bail reenforcement and handle consisting of a strip of metal having portions of its side edges rolled up to form parallel beads spaced apart to receive a bail closely nesting between 55 them, other portions of said edges being spaced from the ends of said beads by transversely opposed recesses therein and adapted to engage beneath and to be bent around and over the top of a bail when the handle is applied to the same.

2. A handle for pails, comprising a curved wire bail and a sheet metal hand guard substantially conforming in curvature to the bail and having a portion disposed beneath the latter for the entire length of the guard, the side edges of the guard intermediate its end portions being rolled into upwardly and inwardly extending beads to reenforce the bail and the guard against deforma tion during use, the end portions of said beads merging into portions engaging the top of the bail to secure the bail and guard together.

JOHN M. HOTI-IERSAIL. 

